Reviews

Eliza Mace by Sarah Burton

jemima_reads15's review against another edition

First proper DNF of the year I think. It just didn't hold my interest which is a shame... I thought I might go back to it, but I just wasn't compelled to 

jordan_1_1's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

alittlemixofvix's review

adventurous emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

A great introduction to the Eliza Mace mystery series and such a beautiful cover.

It's quite a slow build, but I enjoyed it as I felt you got to know the dynamics and personalities better. I loved how Eliza’s mind worked, having inside information definitely helped her solve some clues.

I liked the respect Constable Pritchard gave Eliza and how he coped with her intelligence sometimes out-shining his. I do hope to see more of him in the future book too...

Some of Eliza’s reactions seemed over the top, but then I had to remember the time period and her age - because most of the time she acts older than her age.

Overall, an interesting mystery with a strong female lead in a time that may not be ready for her.

*I received a complementary copy of the book from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. 

ellahxbooks's review against another edition

mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Eliza Mace was indeed, no doubt, a sharp young lass with a love for curiosity. Although I would like to point out the fact that she solved the mystery not because she brainstormed who the culprit was, but because the circumstances were in her favor and it happened that she was a very observant person. That was the only thing I had on her, the rest of her logical thinking skills were okay.
All in all I liked the story; it was entertaining enough for me to finish it at a shorter period of time. 

perhapsiwillread's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

nerdygnome's review against another edition

3.25

I felt like I was listening to a BBC series as I listened to Eliza Mace, in a good way! Karen Cass' narration perfectly brought this Victorian mystery to life. The plot of the book centers around Eliza, a coming-of-age young woman who struggles with the strict rules, dysfunctional family, and societal expectations placed on her. When her father goes missing and is later found dead, Eliza decides it's up to her to solve the mystery of who was at fault. While there were some details that did not seem accurate to the time period, the narrative was engaging and fun if you just don't think too hard on the history.  I found the resolution to be very sudden, though, giving a little bit of an underwhelming payoff for the book's slow start. 

Thank you to Bolinda Audio, Sarah Burton, and Jem Poster for an advance copy of the audiobook for honest review. 

rachelsread's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was an interesting and unique take on the murder mystery genre, set in 1870s Wales. At first, I was worried that the murder was going to take place almost immediately, which I personally dislike as it is difficult to care about the victim without getting to know them first, but I was glad to realise that this wasn't the case. Eliza Mace was a refreshing character to listen to; a headstrong teenager fighting for independence from her controlling and manipulative parents. The detective, Dafydd Pritchard was also an interesting character, and I cannot express how relieved I was to find out that they didn't end up together at the end, given Eliza's age. Thankfully, there was very little romance throughout the novel and the main focus was on finding the killer, who just as thankfully, wasn't entirely obvious until the end of the story.

saltydogreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

withintheselines's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

elfthebest's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

So Eliza( Elizabeth) is seen as a bit of a wild child to her family. Disobeying them when all she trying to do is find answers to her father death. I liked the research done. Being from Cardiff the reference to Butetown was a great reference. It's a but slow to start. Nothing really happens till about half way, then it just slowly drifts. I wanted to like it but found myself hating most of the characters bad Daffyd.